Meet Lloyd Martin: A running phenomenon

Like many runners, it all started at Parkrun for Lloyd Martin but he could never have imagined where it would take him.

That first 5km run when he was 13 soon turned to half marathons before Lloyd completed the full distance, becoming the fastest person with Down’s syndrome to complete a marathon.

Through it all, Lloyd has inspired others along the way to get moving in whichever way they works best for them.

“I would say to people to just have a go at it and keep running,” he said.

“It has helped me be outside and keep healthy, you can’t always be on your gadgets all the time!”

Feeling welcomed

Lloyd, 19, tried a number of sports growing up, but it was running that was most inclusive to him and mum Ceri Hooper after Lloyd initially found his feet at an inclusive gym.

“Lloyd’s favourite sport is gymnastics and we really struggled throughout his younger years to find a place that was inclusive and would take him,” Ceri explained.

“They took him on board, they were prepared to sign up with the Special Olympics so that Lloyd could then compete with others.

“That process was so straight forward, and I would really like to see every sports club out there be able to do that.”

Lloyd set his world record at this year’s London Marathon, with mum Ceri as his guide throughout after five months of training.

Inclusivity was key to the start of Lloyd’s running journey, with all abilities able to take part in Parkrun, where he initially started before beginning to ramp up the miles in preparation for the big day.

“When you go to Parkrun there’s all abilities there,” Ceri said.

“They are very welcoming. And you can walk, you can run, you can do a mixture of both. It is literally open to anybody.

“You feel like you are part of a family, even if we tour around all different places and countries. You are still made to feel welcomed.

“I think that’s why we particularly enjoy going back to Parkrun, because even if we’ve got to do a long run, training run for his marathon, we’ll start off by doing the Parkrun somewhere and then we’ll carry on and do some more miles.”

Big ambitions

Lloyd has big plans for his running career, that has already encapsulated the London Marathon, New York Marathon and Great North Run.

He is now targeting the London Landmarks half marathon in 2025 but the benefits of his running can be seen far beyond the roads and the track.

“I definitely have seen an increase in Lloyd’s cognitive behaviour,” Ceri added. “He’s far more chatting, his speech has got better, and I’m sure it’s all because of health and fitness.

“There’s a huge variety of sports out there, especially for children with Down’s syndrome.

“I don’t think you can beat being healthy, being fit. It’s just really so important.

“It has just been really remarkable, it’s been amazing. Then you start to think this is actually inspiration because there’s no other word for it.”